Graham Farish 372-700A N Gauge Class 20/3 20310 DRS Blue

The Class 20 was one of the most successful designs born from British Rail’s Modernisation Plan, and almost 70 years on from their introduction several of the type are still in operation today. Some of the most distinctive ‘choppers’ still in use today are the Class 20/3s, created for DRS from 1995 by refurbishing redundant locomotives, and now you can bring this famous sub-class to your N Scale collection too thanks to Graham Farish.

Crafted using all-new tooling for the bodyshells and solebars to accurately capture the changes made to the real locomotives as part of the Class 20/3 refurbishment programme, the Graham Farish tooling suite is comprehensive and caters for all the key details found on the fleet of fifteen locomotives which were converted in two batches, and that have seen further changes during the two decades of use (and counting!) that followed.

Taking advantage of the new chassis developed for our Scottish Class 20/0s, the new Class 20/3s boast an impressive technical specification which includes a Next18 DCC Decoder interface and a pre-fitted speaker, allowing SOUND FITTED versions to be offered too. A selection of working lights only enhances the model further, with the exquisite livery application adding the final touch to this modern classic that will look at home in any contemporary scene.

• Graham Farish N Scale


• Era 9


• Pristine DRS Blue livery


• Running No. 20310


• Equipped with a Next18 DCC Decoder Socket – Recommend Decoder item No. 36-567A


• Length 104mm (over couplings)

DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL

• Multiple Working Jumper Sockets at Both Ends


• BMAC Light Clusters with High Level Marker Lights


• Drilled Bogie Equalising Beams

GRAHAM FARISH CLASS 20/3 SPECIFICATION

MECHANISM:

• Coreless, twin shaft motor with two flywheels providing drive to both bogies


• All axle drive


• Electrical pickup from all wheels


• Diecast metal chassis block


• Gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities


• 9mm (N gauge) wheels to NEM310 standards with authentic profile and detailing


• Bogie-mounted coupling pockets to NEM355 standards at each end


• Designed to operate on curves of second radius (263.5mm) or greater

DETAILING:

• High-fidelity, injection-moulded bodyshells with precision engraving and moulding of details such as rivets, panels and bodyside louvres


• Fully detailed bogies incorporating suspension and brake components with separately fitted cab steps, and sandboxes with metal sand pipes


• Separately applied buffers, solebar steps, front grab irons, battery boxes & tanks and chassis pipework


• Etched roof fan grille and metal wire handrails


• Cab interior detailing


• Each model supplied with a full set of model-specific bufferbeam pipework and accessory parts, including a set of open and closed headcode discs where appropriate

LIGHTING:

• Working main head light and tail lights at the cab end only


• Working top marker light at the cab and nose end (where fitted depending on prototype)


• Working lighting is switchable on/off at either end on DCC or Analogue control


• Authentic light colours and temperatures selected for each model based on era and application

DCC:

• Next18 DCC decoder interface

SOUND:

• Speaker installed in all models for optimum sound reproduction


• Zimo MS590N18 DCC Sound Decoder pre-installed in SOUND FITTED versions


• Sound files produced specifically for the Graham Farish Class 20 using recordings from real locomotives


• SOUND FITTED models operate on DCC and Analogue control as supplied

LIVERY APPLICATION:

• Authentic liveries applied to all models


• Multiple paint applications employed on each model using BR/TOC specification colours


• Logos, numerals and text added as appropriate using multi-stage tampo printing process, employing authentic typefaces, logos and colours

CLASS 20/3 HISTORY

The Class 20s were first conceived as part of the British Railways Board's 1955 Modernisation Plan. Introduced as a pilot scheme design, the English Electric Type 1 was a standout success resulting in the design becoming BR’s standard Type 1 Diesel Locomotive of which 228 were built between 1957 and 1968. The first 128 examples featured headcode discs and marker lights at each end, echoing the 4-position train reporting system used on steam locomotives, however the final hundred were equipped with a central headcode box to display alpha-numeric headcodes at either end, in place of the discs and marker lights.

Designated Class 20 when the Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) was introduced in the 1970s, the locomotives were principally designed for freight work but also saw service on summer passenger trains where train heating was not required. The only drawback the Class had was its single end cab, unlike modern designs that have a cab at each end. BR resolved this problem by regularly operating the Class 20s as pairs, nose to nose, and with the combined power of 2,000hp they were able to haul the heavier block freight trains.

BR's decision to switch to Type 5 and in particular Class 60 diesels in the late 1980s started a gradual withdrawal of the fleet, with just 28 left by 1994. However, as Privatisation loomed a new government-controlled rail company was born – Direct Rail Services (DRS). Created in 1994, DRS was part of British Nuclear Fuels Limited and was responsible for nuclear traffic. To work its trains DRS was looking for a simple, robust and reliable design of locomotive and the Class 20 fit the bill with DRS acquiring 15 from RFS which had been using them for track laying trains in conjunction with the Channel Tunnel project.

A refurbishment programme was drawn up and the best five were sent to Brush in Loughborough who had won the contract to complete the works which included the shaving of each end to remove all the lights and fittings, to be replaced with BMAC light clusters. The train vacuum brakes were removed along with the blue star multiple working and instead a multi working jumper socket was fitted at the nose end only – with the expectation that the locos would work in pairs coupled nose to nose.

Some electrical components were upgraded with modern replacements, and a pair of fuel tanks was also mounted to the solebars to extend the working range. New aluminium-framed cab windscreens were fitted along with a cab to shore radio pod on the cab roof. The cabside windows were also changed with large, square-cornered windows fitted in place of the originals. The five locomotives were numbered 20301-20305 and all had entered traffic by 1996.

Attention soon turned to expanding the fleet and in 1998 a further ten Class 20/3s were created, with the work this time being completed by Wabtec at Doncaster. The donor locomotives were selected from the remainder of those acquired from RFS and a second batch of ex-BR Telecomms machines. Unlike the first five, these newer 20/3s had multi working jumper sockets at both ends to provide operational flexibility and numbers 1 to 5 later had the cab end socket added retrospectively. The second batch of locos also differed in having a top marker light fitted at either end. In the early-2000s an aerial was retrofitted to the cab end of them all, except for 20302.

DRS put the Class 20/3s to work on nuclear traffic as intended, but the type also saw occasional use on freight, infrastructure trains, intermodal workings including the trial of the Milkliner train in 1997, and they have been employed to haul diverted passenger trains and charters. Their use for route learning and on Railhead Treatment Trains has seen the Class 20/3s reach many parts of the country, but by 2013 the first examples were set aside as work dried up or replacements arrived.

Two of the fleet were sold to Harry Needle Railroad Company and received a striking orange paint scheme before being hired to GBRf for the delivery of new London Underground trains from Derby to London. Harry Needle has now been taken over by Swietelsky who have acquired further ex-DRS Class 20/3s to use for spot hire, with several being reactivated and repainted whilst others are more likely to provide spare parts.

Remarkably then, after almost 70 years of service, some of these Class 20s are still going strong and indeed with Swietelsky several have been granted a new lease of life, again!